Whatever Happened to Baby William Anthology
by DaynaFoxe
Summary: A collection of shorts, mostly centering on Mulder, Scully, William, and Katey's family life during the time between Whatever Happened to Baby William and its sequel. Set in my Whatever Happened to Baby William Universe.
1. Pumpkin Picking

Pumpkin Picking

Saturday, October 17th, 2009; The Maine Coast

Eight year old William John Mulder ran joyfully through the orange-filled field, his yellow galoshes throwing up waves of muck when he hit a puddle. It was cold for October, and the ground was frozen in places, but the rain the week before had left puddles throughout the pumpkin field. Watching her son, Dana Scully was glad that she had made him wear the rain boots and the dark green parka.

Fox Mulder zipped up his five year old daughter Katherine's purple parka and set her down on the ground. Katey immediately ran after her brother, her pale red-tinged pigtails bobbing as she made her way through the pumpkin patch. Over the summer they'd had a health scare with her over her genetic disorders, but the only remaining symptom now was a slightly odd limping sort of gait that was rapidly clearing up.

"Willy Willy, wait for me, Willy!" she called to her brother, and William obligingly came to an immediate halt. Only Katey could call him Willy; to everyone else it was either Will or William. He was an utterly doting big brother, and loved the little girl to death.

Mulder smiled as he watched them. He walked over to Scully and they casually linked hands as they walked along behind their children. It was something that was automatic now, they didn't even think about it. Mulder looked at his fiance out of the corner of his eye. Her hair was as red as it had always been, but it was much longer now and her bangs were gone. There were laugh lines around her mouth, and crow's feet beginning around her eyes, but they did nothing to detract from her beauty. If anything, she was more beautiful now than ever. Happiness could do amazing things to a person.

Ahead of them, William and Katey ran hand-in-hand, Will having slowed down to let his sister keep up. They paused, and William pointed to their right. Katey dropped his hand and jumped up and down, gloved hands covering her mouth. Though they were maybe fifty yards behind them, Mulder and Scully heard her happy and excited squeal clearly. The harsh wind carried it towards them. Mulder shivered slightly, regretting that he had forgone a coat and just worn an olive green sweater. He wasn't used to how cold New England became so early in Autumn.

Mulder had grown up in New England, on Martha's Vineyard. He had no urge to relive his childhood with his own children in any way, but he still loved the New England coast. He had mediated this problem by taking vacations two or three times a year to the quaint seaside towns in Maine. This year they were spending the last two weeks of October in Maine, including Halloween. Since Halloween was on a Saturday this year, John and Monica were bringing Julie and Jay up on the 30th for a little Halloween party, the kids were all going out Trick-or-Treating together on Saturday, and Sunday everyone would head home. In the mean time, there was pumpkin picking and carving, hayrides, haunted houses, apple cider, hot chocolate, and all other manner of spooky fun to be had.

It wasn't quite dusk yet, but it would be dark in little more than an hour. It was just enough time for them to pick out their pumpkins before heading back on the hay-covered tractor in time to catch the night time entertainment. Karaoke, bonfires, a haunted hayride and house, food… Both the children and the two adults were looking forward to it.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look-it this one!" Katey called. She was attempting to lift a pumpkin that probably weighed more than she did. Scully laughed at her. "That one's almost as big as you, Kate! I don't think Daddy'd even be able to carry that."

Mulder glanced side-long at his fiance. "Is that a challenge Little Woman?" he asked her. "Cause them sounded like fightin' words to me!"

Mulder reached down and lifted the pumpkin exaggeratedly like the Incredible Hulk. Unfortunately for him the bottom was rotted, and pumpkin guts splattered over his shirt, down his pants and covered his boots. William, Katey, and Scully all wore identical expressions of shock as they stared at him. An orange web of pumpkin innards, complete with a seed, clung to his hair. Katey was the first to break the silence, covering her mouth with her hands and letting out just the tiniest high-pitched little girl giggle. That was all it took to break the dam, and soon William, Scully, and Katey were laughing like loons. Mulder stood silently, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

"I guess I might've deserved that, a little." he said. Tears of mirth were rolling down Scully's face. She reached out and pulled the pumpkin out of his hair. "That's what you get for being a show-off, Mulder." she told him, than kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Daddy… You broke my pumpkin Willy found for me." Katey scolded him mildly. Her brother grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him. "Don't worry about it Katey; I'll find you a better one." In the end Mulder and Scully talked both the kids into more reasonably sized pumpkins on the principle that they'd be easier to carve, and easier to balance on the railing of the house they were renting.

The hay wagon bounced and jostled along back to the center of activity. The last threads of light were quickly leaving the sky. Katey sat on her Mother's lap, her pumpkin clutched tightly in her little hands. William sat between his parents on the hay-covered wooden bench. His pumpkin was clutched tightly between his feet.

"So, whose going in the Haunted House with me?" Mulder asked. Scully gave him an Are-You-Serious look, and Katey gave him a look of pure horror, shaking her head so fast it looked like it was going to fall off, pigtails smacking her in the face from the motion. William almost jumped out of his seat. "I want to Daddy, I want to!" Instinctively he turned to his Mother, knowing she would have the final say. "Please Mom? I want to see the Haunted House!"

"No Mommy, no! I don't want to, it's gonna be too scary!" Katey cried, burying her head into her Mother's neck, an overt whine to her voice because she was getting tired.

"No whining, Kate." Scully told her daughter, gently but firmly. "It just so happens that I'm not a fan of them either." Scully had seen plenty in her years working the X-Files. A Haunted House would be anti-climatic, if nothing else. "Will, if your Dad wants to take you and you want to go that's up to you boys. Katey and I will find something else to do while you're in there."

"Yes!" William said, punctuating the word with an excited fist pump followed immediately by giving his Father a high-five.

Dana held Katey's hand and they watched Mulder and William head off towards a foreboding barn painted garishly in red and green splatters. The entrance was lit with black lights. Mulder had William up on his shoulders. Dana smiled as she watched them together, than looked down at her daughter. Katey was staring after them wistfully, clearing having second thoughts about her decision to stay behind. "Come on, Chickie. They won't be long, the line isn't that long yet. What do you want to do with Mommy while Daddy and Will are in the Haunted House?"

Katey looked up at her Mother, her pale hazel eyes wide. Her strawberry blonde hair had been blown loose from her pigtails from the wind and whispered across her face in strands. A somewhat evil smile spread across her face and Dana had a sudden idea what her daughter's request was going to be. "Let's go pet the horsies, Mommy."

Twenty minutes later Scully still found herself trapped under a tent that reeked of manure. Her daughter was dashing back and forth between cows, ponies, goats, lambs, baby piglets, baby chicks, and only-God-knew what other kinds of barnyard animals. Katey's laugh was infectious, and Dana couldn't help smiling, though she had a sneaking suspicious that she would never get the smell completely out of their clothes.

Glancing up, she spotted Mulder walking towards the tent. His face was serious, and he was holding William on his hip the way you might hold a toddler. The little boy had his face pressed against his Father's shoulder, and his arms were wrapped tight around his neck. As they came closer, Dana could hear him crying, not a normal cry but a hysterical panicked one and her heart flew up into her throat. Katey had also noticed her Father returning, and was approaching with a quizzical look on her face.

"He's okay, he's fine." Mulder assured before Scully could get a word out. He hoisted his son up a bit higher and rubbed the boy's back gently.

"Mulder, what happened?" Scully asked, trying to take William from him, but William just clung more tightly to his Father, crying harder.

"He's alright, I promise." Mulder pitched his voice low. "One of the rooms in the Haunted House had an alien theme, and they had the really bright strobe lights going off… Just triggered some, unpleasant, memories." Scully could see he was kicking himself for suggesting the Haunted House and for taking William in. William had displayed mild PTSD-like symptoms since the incident in the French Alps, and very bright flashing lights tended to cause him to have panic attacks. "He's fine, he just needs a few minutes to calm down, I think it's mostly just that he's embarrassed now."

Dana rubbed her son's back and spoke gently to him. After a few minutes his tears slowed and he let his Father put him down. His face was bright red and he refused to look anyone in the eye, keeping his head down. Scully put her arm around his shoulders and he leaned against her.

"Daddy, is Willy okay?" Katey asked, and Mulder picked his daughter up. "He's okay, don't worry about it, Sweetheart." Mulder kissed her cheek. "Will just got a little upset, but he'll be alright."

Scully ran her fingers through her son's hair, than leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Do you want to go home, Honey?" she asked him quietly. "No one is going to be upset if you do." William shook his head fiercely. Dana knew her son; to leave now would be like admitting defeat to him. No matter how many times she tried to tell him that leaving a situation was okay, he just refused to do it. He'd have probably gone back in the Haunted House before he agreed to go home.

"Do you want to go get some Hot Chocolate?" she asked him, and this time she got a nod. "Alright, than let's go get some cocoa!" Katey became exuberant at the sound of Hot Chocolate. "I want marshmallows and whip cream! Can I have marshmallows and whip cream, Mommy?"

Arm still wrapped around her son, Dana smiled at her daughter. "We'll see, you little sugar monster you! I don't what they have to put on it!" A little smile started to spread across William's face at his sister's spirited enthusiasm.

They drank their Hot Chocolate next to the bonfire that was burning in a large metal cylinder, than wandered over to the Karaoke Stage on their way out. Katey, who had been falling asleep with her head on Mulder's shoulder, was awake again immediately.

"Daddy! Daddy, can I go sing on stage? PLEASE?" Katey begged, her eyes huge. Kate loved being the center of attention and loved showing off.

Mulder laughed as she clumsily made her way onto the stage. Her limp-hop-walk became more pronounced when she was tired, and right now she was exhausted. Dana laid her head on Mulder's shoulder, her arms holding William against her as he stood in front of her. They watched Katey take the microphone and sing a very off-key version of the Barney theme song. They all clapped, along with the other members of the small audience. Her singing might make ears bleed, but she was adorable.

"Do you want to sing something, Will?" Scully asked her son, and William shook his head shyly. "No? Why not?"

William shrugged. "I don't know what to sing." he said, but glanced at the stage with just a little bit of longing. Dana smiled at him, than took his hand. "Come on, come up and sing something with me, I know exactly what to sing." William drug his feet as he followed his Mother, but only a little bit. "Come on, Mulder, you too!" Scully called to him.

"I can't sing." Mulder protested, but he was following her anyway, and smiling.

"Jeremiah was a Bullfrog, was a good friend of mine." Scully was just as flat as her daughter, but when Mulder, and William, and Katey all joined in they didn't sound half bad. Mulder picked Katey up and held her so they could all reach the microphone at once. 'Joy, to the world, to all the boys and girls, joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me."


	2. Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27th, 2008

"Will, are you almost ready?" Dana Scully called down the hall to her seven year old son. Dana was in the bathroom, already dressed, hair done, make-up applied. She was attempting to pull her four year old daughter Katey's short strawberry-blonde into a pair of pigtails, but she was having a hard time getting them even. Kate couldn't seem to sit still for anything. Sighing in exasperation, she wondered how her Mother had managed it with her and Melissa when they were young.

William appeared in the doorway, reflected in the mirror, and Scully felt her breath catch and tears prickle the backs of her eyes. "You look so handsome, Honey! You look just like Daddy!" The little boy wore Mulder's expression as well, one that clearly said he would prefer to be dressed in anything else but the cream dress shirt, green vest, and black slacks he was wearing. "Wait until Mom-Mom sees you." she told him knowingly, finally provoking a small smile. "Why don't you go find Daddy and help get the car packed while I finish getting Katey's hair done?"

As it were, Mulder and his son had the car packed and were outside waiting while it warmed up for another twenty minutes before Dana and Katey appeared. Mulder glanced at his son in the rear view mirror as Scully locked the door, balancing Katey on one hip. "Women." William said, sighing exaggeratedly and rolling his eyes. Mulder couldn't help laughing at his son. "Better not let your Mom hear that one." he told him, and winked.

* * *

It was their first Thanksgiving together as a family, and to celebrate Dana's Mother was having the entire family over for the holiday. Bill would be there with his wife Tara and their eleven year old son Matthew, three year old daughter Sarah, and fifteen month-old son Benjamin. Mulder had not seen Bill since before William was born, and he had never met his younger two children. Bill allowed Scully to take Matthew on occasion, but apparently didn't feel she was responsible enough to handle smaller children. Mulder wasn't looking forward to dealing with the holier-than-thou bastard, but for Maggie Scully's sake, and his children's sake, he thought he could manage.

Also there, and much more pleasantly, would be Charlie Scully and his wife Christina, their six year old daughter Bridget and two year old son Zachary. Charlie's sons from his previous marriage, Pete and Charlie Jr., were also coming, as were Junior's wife Allison and their two and half year old son Charlie the Third.

Dana was practically glowing, although it was bittersweet in a way. It had been over a decade since the siblings had all been home for a holiday, but with Melissa Scully and her Father both gone, the whole family still wasn't all together. Mulder was looking forward to getting the affair over with, but William and Katey were both excited to see all of their cousins.

Mulder watched the two kids in the rear view mirror while stopped at the light. Dana had put their daughter in a black faux-fur dress coat, but the green dress she was wearing was visible well below it. It was the same color as William's vest, and Scully's own sweater. Only Mulder was dressed not in green, opting for a blue sweater instead, using the excuse that he didn't have their red hair to make green the perfect color. Katey was tiny for a four year old, and her short pigtails looked reminiscent of a toddler's alien antenna hairstyles, but there was no doubt that the kid was adorable. William, on the other hand, was old enough to now be handsome in a more refined, less child-like way. It made Mulder proud, but it also scared him a bit.

* * *

Surprisingly, Bill Scully was more than cordial. He greeted his sister with a kiss, and Mulder with a hearty handshake, and appeared genuinely pleased to meet his niece and become reacquainted with his nephew. Mulder was pleased with the reaction, but had a sneaking suspicion that it had more to do with Maggie than with Bill's own manners. Charlie and his boys were as friendly as ever, Pete giving Mulder a can of beer and Junior ushering him into the living room to watch the football game with them. Will came along with him, but that was mostly because Matt was watching the game with his Father. Left to his own devices, William preferred playing sports to watching them, and like his Father he much preferred Baseball or Basketball over Football.

Dana made her way into the kitchen to help her Mom with the cooking. Maggie Scully looked happier than she had in years, and Dana felt a sad pang, wondering if her Mother was terribly lonely now that her husband was gone. She made a mental note to try and visit her more often when she could.

Tara, Chris, and Allison had all been chased into the dinning room by Maggie already, and were sitting around the table chatting. Tara was holding her youngest child on her lap, being overprotective as usual. Bridget, Sarah, Zachary, and Baby Charlie were all in the playroom, and Katey quickly joined them there as soon as her Mother got her coat off.

As was customary, there was no 'Children's Table' at the Scully house. Maggie Scully had always reviled such things. She felt children should be seated at the table with the adults, to join in with the festivities and be enjoyed and to enjoy. Maggie Scully did not believe in the adage that children were best seen and not heard. She also believed children were perfectly capable of behaving at a dinner table with good manners. None of her grandchildren disappointed her.

Seated at the head of the table, Bill Scully led the family in prayer, all of them holding hands in a circle, heads bowed. "Heavenly Father, we thank you for this feast laid out before us. But more importantly we thank you for all of the Blessings you bring to our lives, not only today but everyday, and we thank you for those you have allowed to grace this table. Amen."

A quiet murmur of 'Amens' echoed down the table, than noise immediately erupted as several conversations began at once. Turkey was passed around the table, than stuffing and mashed potatoes. Green bean casserole followed, as did a roasted veggies dish and candied sweet potatoes. The final item to circle the table was a dish of homemade cranberry sauce. The atmosphere was pleasant, and for once the siblings were not arguing, they were merely enjoying one another's company. Champagne and wine flowed in many crystal glasses, as did sparkling juices and water.

A clanging broke through the din of many conversations, and the voices slowed to a stop as Scully stood up, banging a butter knife against her glass. "Mulder and I have an announcement to make, and I think now is as good a time as any, as long as everyone is here." All eyes were on her, including Mulder's. He'd begun to smile a little. Katey and William stared at her curiously. Dana couldn't help the small smile scrawling across her face. "We've decided to get married." A moment of silence was immediately followed by happy cries of congratulations. Charlie was the first one up to hug and kiss his sister, followed immediately by Maggie.

"When's the wedding?" Tara asked. Bill's smile looks a bit fixed, but Tara's was genuine.

"March 6th. It's the day we first met." Dana answered, smiling broadly, happy with the reaction from everyone.

Tara's eyes went wide. "Wow, that's really fast! How are you going to get everything planned by than?"

Mulder stepped in to answer. "We don't want anything too extravagant. Probably just a very small ceremony with all of you, maybe a few very close friends." He was thinking of the Skinners and the Doggetts. There was no way they could tie the knot and not invite them. Mulder felt more pleased, more comfortable, than he had felt in awhile. He had always assumed he would remain a life-long bachelor, and the thought of marrying now was a comfort to him.

Chris cut into the conversation. "Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure it will be beautiful, and perfect for you two." Her eyes were warm with understanding. She had spent awhile feeling like an outsider herself. Charlie's first wife, April, had been well-received by the family, and Chris had been regarded as an interloper for quite awhile.

* * *

After dinner, while everyone else helped to clean up, Bill Scully went outside to throw the old pigskin around with his older son. Mulder watched through the window as Bill tried to teach Matt to throw a spiral. At his elbow, William watched as well as he helped dry dishes, burning with envy.

Mulder nudged his son. "Hey. We won't be long Pal, I promise. As soon as were finished we'll go out and play too, alright?" William nodded defeatedly. "Besides, don't you think Mom-Mom's _really_ going to appreciate you helping clean up? And doesn't it make you feel better to know you helped out?"

William smiled at this. "Yeah. I guess so." He stopped starring jealously out the window at his cousin, and Mulder felt an intense wave of pride towards his son.

By the time they got outside Matt had the spiral down well enough, but his Father was looking intensely aggravated. Matthew's face was flushed with anger and embarrassment. He looked extremely unhappy. William glanced up at his Father uncertainly.

"If you forget how to throw a spiral between every time we play, how are you going to make the football team in another couple years when you get to high school, Matt?" Bill asked his son exasperatedly. "It's not brain surgery!"

"Hey, can we join?" Mulder asked, coming up behind them and startling Bill.

"Sure. The kid know how to play?" he asked, tossing his head at William.

Mulder flashed Bill a smile that was just a little bit too friendly to be entirely authentic. "Of course he does! I take him to play ball at the park or just in the yard almost every day it's nice out. Can't get good at a sport without constant repetition, right?" The ugly red flush on Bill Scully's cheeks suggested that he knew exactly what Mulder was referring to. Bill, between work and just not taking an active interest, rarely had quality time to spend with any of his kids. Matt might forget how to throw between one time and the next, but that was probably mostly to do with the fact they only played a few times a year.

Mulder tossed the football to William, and Will caught it, clutching it to his chest. The spiral he tossed back was flawless. Bill watched with his arms crossed, impressed.

"He could really go somewhere with that! He has a hell of an arm." Bill called to Mulder. Mulder smiled but didn't respond. Will was good at most sports he tried, but he knew that Will had no interest in playing football. Like Mulder, it wasn't his 'thing'. Also like Mulder, Will's sports were Baseball and Basketball.

Bill watched a few more tosses before heading inside to see if Tara had the babies ready to go yet. It was getting late, and he wanted to be back home early. His plane back to California, where his ship was currently stationed, left at 5AM the next day. Matthew stayed and watched Mulder and William. Mulder lobbed a throw at him once Bill was safely inside. Matt caught it easily.

"Nice catch, Matt!" Mulder called, and Matthew responded with an easy grin. "Toss it back! I'll throw to you, than Will, than back to you. Alright?"

Matt tossed the ball back. It was a loose, unsteady spiral. "Sure, Uncle Fox." he called, looking downtrodden again.

"That wasn't bad! Make sure you hold the stitches, and kind of flick your wrist when you throw it!" Mulder called to him as he threw the ball to William. William demonstrated the technique, and the ball spiraled beautifully back to his Father. When Matt threw again he tried it, and the ball produced a much neater, tighter, spiraling motion. "There you go, Matt! You're getting it!" Mulder called.

They tossed the ball back and forth for another twenty minutes or so, until Bill came to the door and called Matt in. By than the sun had set enough that it was getting too dark to play, so Mulder and William headed in as well. As they walked back to the house, trailing well behind Matthew, Mulder put his hand on Will's shoulder. His son looked up at him and smiled the unaffected smile of a small child.

"I love you, Daddy." William said to his Father, and for a moment Mulder felt like his heart would burst. It was one of those special moments you only so rarely get with your children. There was so much more in that simple statement, it felt so much deeper and dearer than those casual 'I love yous' before bed or school.

Mulder gave his son a tight quick hug. "I love you too, Will."

* * *

Inside the house, Sarah Scully was in her Father's arms, crying her eyes out because she didn't want to leave yet. Bill Scully looked extremely annoyed by his little princess, to say the least, as she screamed hysterically in his ear, mouth wide open and face bright red. His Mother was busy fussing with her, trying to get her to calm down, but to no avail.

Dana stood in the kitchen, just out of Bill's sight but within clear sight of her fiance, smirking. She held Katey's hand, and Katey stifled a yawn. She had fallen asleep, but Sarah's screams had awoken her. Dana smiled and winked at Mulder when she saw him. "Ready to head home? I think a certain little Miss here is ready for B-E-D."

Katey frowned and looked up at her Mother at the word. She was a bright girl, and knew what such a simple word was, but she didn't put up a fuss like her cousin. Another yawn erupted from her, and she rubbed her knuckles into her eyes.

It took them twenty minutes of saying goodbye before they were able to get out of the house. This was partially because another round of congratulations joined the farewells, along with the requisite 'We-really-must-do-this-more-often's. By the time they got out to their car Katey was asleep again, this time in her Father's arms.

The drive home was passed in comfortable silence. Mulder took Scully's hand partway through the ride, and they spent the rest of the ride that way, comfortably hand-in-hand. By the time they got home, both of their children were sound asleep in the back seat, perhaps the best testament to a happy holiday a parent could ask for.


End file.
